We are kicking off our Memorial Day Sale a little early. Call it wishful thinking for a long weekend, but we aren’t far off. It’s our Red, White and Blue … or Henna, Indigo and Beige Stars and Stripes sale on NOW at classicaccessories.com

25% OFF site wide until May 31st with code: Stars18 at checkout.
Any item, any collection!

Even though it’s not the long holiday weekend, we can still plan ahead. What plans do you have? Whether you are planning on traveling or staying home we hope to be apart of it. Because to us, it’s not just about protecting your stuff.

Sure, that’s part of it. But to us, it’s also about much more than that. It’s about protecting dreams, adventures and memories, and all the irreplaceable experiences that make your belongings worth protecting. That’s why we do what we do. And why we’re committed to doing it so well. Because we know the true value of your belongings doesn’t necessarily start with a dollar sign.

May is a month for flowers, sunshine and fishing. Most states have had their openers or are having one this weekend. We know that Sunday is a special day (if you’ve yet to pick out a gift for your mom, we do have a sale going on the website for Montlake) and we’re not suggesting that you avoid being with mom or your kids on Mother’s Day, but perhaps spending some time away from home is just what mom needs–especially since in Minnesota this weekend, mom’s can fish for free.

To give you some ideas of where to head out whenever you do decide to fish, we’ve made a list of 4 reccomendations, 2 selected out of responses to our followup question on Facebook to our March blog post regarding the opening of the fishing season and 2 from our employees.

#1 Whiteswan Lake, British Columbia

Whiteswan Lake is in a beautiful location with opportunities for the whole family to enjoy a day trip. It has a large fish population (including rainbow trout), and is located within a larger Provincial Park. The fishing crowd gets to cast into gorgeous scenery (with a second lake in the park) and there are opportunities for swimming and hiking for anyone who is less interested in fishing in the party.

Our first suggestion came from Tim Snow

#2 Snake and Salmon Rivers, Washington

The second pick is a favorite for our Marketing Specialist, Amanda Perry:

Both of these rivers hold a special place in my heart. I have experienced days and nights through their canyons on the river and on the sandy shores of both.

Days were spent in white water and ended with calm afternoons fishing with our feet in water catching dinner. Although trips were about the float, the fishing was GREAT as well. And trout caught after a day of paddling just tastes better if you ask me. The South Fork of the Snake River below Palisades Dam features world-class blue-ribbon trout fishing in a gorgeous, road-less canyon.

The Snake River begins as a high mountain stream in Yellowstone National Park before it turns west and follows the ancient scar of the Yellowstone super volcano through southern Idaho.

Just before it reaches Oregon, the river makes an abrupt turn north, into Hells Canyon, the deepest river canyon in the nation. Six-hundred miles from its alpine headwaters, it meets the Salmon.

The Salmon River originates in Idaho’s Saw tooth Mountains and flows 425 miles through some of the most remote land in the lower 48. Unlike the dozens of dams and impoundments found on the Snake River, the Salmon flows free for its entire length until it is absorbed by the Snake in Hells Canyon.

It’s a bucket list of ours to take the kids on someday when they are old enough. Trips like these are where memories are made. Do a quick search on Idaho’s white water trips and you’ll be in for a trip of a lifetime!

#3 Bitterroot River, Montana

The Bitterroot river flows through beautiful scenery in the lush Bitterroot Valley with the Sapphire Mountains to the east and the Bitterroot Mountains to the west. Known as one of the premiere trout rivers in western Montana the river forks to offer a quality fly fishing setting. With pools, runs, gravel bars, riffles and channels the river provides outstanding diversity.

This suggestion came from Michael Campbell:

#4 McKenzi River, Oregon

Last but not least is the choice fishing on the McKenzie River, selected by our Art Director, Dorik Downing:

What a crazy start to Fall we’ve had. Some of us are recovering from storms and some of us are prepping for them.
Watching the weather.com for the mass of rain and wind our region is going to be getting this weekend isn’t the most enjoyable way to spend a few minutes, but it does set your mind to prep mode. Luckily, here at Classic Accessories, we are made for Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer and all their variations:
It’s kinda our gig, and it’s what we do well. When the weather man starts with their warnings, you take it with a grain of salt most times. Wind-Rain-Mageddon 2016! Until you really DO look at your window and are dreading even getting into your car. We prep as we can for power outages, cold temps and what comes of Mother Nature at home. One thing we all know here, you can bet we go home and secure our covers. They are designed and tested for this. Here’s to an interesting weekend, don’t blow away.

Dorik Downing is one of our Senior Graphic Designers here at Classic Accessories. He has been an amazing leader within our creative department and has helped to establish our current branding. He uses his expertise to develop a vast majority of our packaging displays, design for in store retailers, catalogs, and much much more. So the next time you see one of our packages, it’s more than likely it started out as a sketch on Dorik’s desk. Not only is he a HUGE talent for Classic, Dorik is also an amazing artist and an impressive griller … just ask him for his favorite recipe and he’ll tell you:“Anything that’s on my grill!”
{Dorik at his Kamado Joe grilling up burgers}
Here’s his recipe:

D’s Burgers

The burger part:

1 lb 80/20 Beef

1/2 lb ground pork

12 oz cooked spinach

6 oz queso fresco

1TB Worcestershire sauce

Salt and Pepper.

Mix all that and make about 3” size meatballs.
(I like pressing my pattys down with a large spatula and a hot grill)
Grill to your liking and top with Montery jack cheese and little more queso fresco.
Let melt of course and layer on sautéed onions

OK, now assembly:

Toasted Preztle Buns
Layer of Mayo and SOB hot sauce mix**
Layer of Homemade Guacamole
A few Blue Corn chips
Place burger on the chips
Top with nitrate free bacon and your favorite greens.
Finish by smashing down the top bun and go for it.

Dorik also makes his very own hot sauce called S.O.B – Son of Butch:
This guy LOVES his hot sauce. After many flavors and brands, he really figured out that he loves the smoky flavor of chipotle peppers as they balance out the other spices in the sauce. His favorite sauce, aside from his own would be Moon Shine Madness. He affectionately named his hot sauce with his dad’s old high school nickname: Butch. That’s his artwork on the label (told ya he’s a man of many talents!) I personally own some and really like it on fried razor clams, and it’s just the right amount of HOT with a smoky finish that really rounds out the flavors.

He recommends Shoe String Sweet Potatoes seasoned with Old Bay for sides:

… And of course for dessert … he moved over to the fire pit for s’mores

Dorik grills on his Kamado Joe at home. Here’s what Kamado Joe says about their grills:

“An ancient, Asian-style grill, the kamado is a thick-walled cooker that imparts rich, smoky flavor to meats, fish and vegetables. Relatively unchanged for centuries, air flows through the grill’s ceramic body and out its vented dome, chunk charcoal comes to life as smoke and heat. Kamado Joe is proud to draw on that tradition, modernizing the grill’s classic style with unparalleled craftsmanship, innovative accessories and a range of flexible cooking surfaces.” Find more of their own recipes here.

Well it seems like Spring is officially here when we see those familiar yellow flags, Georgia pines, and azaleas. Nature groomed to a picture perfect afternoon on Amen Corner of Augusta National, if only every round could be this:

Yep it’s Masters time and who isn’t watching vicariously through the eyes of Jordan Speith right about now?!Although most of us won’t ever see the likes of these links – at least not under our golf shoes. We can make the most ofwhere we spend our rounds and Classic Accessories can give you a home course advantage any place you play with the enclosures, covers and accessories in our Fairway™ Collection:

Focus on the game, not the forecast this Spring – because every day can’t be the Masters after all.

Whether you are spending time with friends and family, prepping for back to school, or getting ready for football season – we hope you enjoy your holiday weekend! To make it a little extra special, please enjoy 20% off (everything) at www.ClassicAccessories.com, starting now through Monday evening. Use the coupon code: LaborDay at checkout. Have a great weekend!

We’re officially in patio season, why not mix it up this year? Below are some fresh ideas from some of our favorite bloggers.

1. Sarah Le from I am Food Blog has a delightful take on a summer picnic salad. This Vietnamese and foodie inspired the salad uses fresh ingredients like: mint, cilantro and lime, and features quinoa, veggies and a little sriracha for spice. Check it out!

2. Kristin Jackson of the Hunted Interior, created a beautiful backyard oasis as part of a HomeDepot.com style challenge. We noticed her work last year when she stenciled her stained deck with a large graphic pattern making it a unique and bold space: here. Take some inspiration from her latest outdoor creation with a simple palette that pops, a creative wall of plates, and a fun bocce court.

3. Apartment Therapy has a great post to help you get started creating your outdoor dream space. Sounds pretty practical and fun! Once you go through the steps, you’ll have a clearer idea of what needs fixing, what you would like to incorporate, what supplies you have on hand, and what supplies you might need. Browse Apartment Therapy’s site if you’re looking for DIY inspiration, they have a ton of great ideas.

Skill level: BeginnerThis is a great addition for a smaller yard, patio or balcony. You’ll use a plastic bowl as the a mold, so you can pick the size and depth of your new fire pit. The shopping list is short, and you probably have a few items on hand already – like Pam cooking spray (so the concrete doesn’t stick), and a plastic tub for mixing concrete. Depending on the size you go with, this firepit is easy to move around and enjoy wherever you like in your outdoor space.

This is a detailed tutorial for a pretty cool built-in pit. More complicated than some DIYs – but they do a great job with visuals and detailed explanations. All of the steps are accompanied with photos and clear explanations. We think it’s worth it.

This fire pit looks modern and sleek – yet the main part is a drum gutted from an old washing machine. If you don’t happen to have an old automatic front-loading machine lying around you’ll need to scout out a junk yard, garage sale or thrift store to score the drum.

Let us know in the comments if you’ve made a fire pit before or plan to try one this year.